1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reel winding device having two support rolls that form a winding bed for receiving a winding reel, and a compressed air support device that has a pressure chamber arrangement with end sealing elements.
2. Discussion of Background Information
In one of the final steps of production, paper webs are commonly cut to the correct width and then wound onto reels before being packaged and delivered. The winding cores, onto which the paper reels are wound, have only relatively little rigidity and load-bearing capacity in contrast to the reel-spools used during paper production. They are often constructed, e.g., as cardboard tubes. This generally leads to the paper reels being supported during winding by supporting rolls. This is particularly pronounced when the winding device is structured as a support roll winding machine. In this process, the reel lies on support rolls without additional retention force being exerted on the core. However, even with a backup roll, with which additional retention force can be exerted on the core, the reel is supported on a roll. If the paper reels are larger and heavier, the linear support forces of the paper reel become relatively large on the support roll or rolls, which has the disadvantage of increasing the winding hardness. This can lead to a subsequent failure in the winding structure of the roll. To relieve the pressure on the reels and to reduce the linear force, pneumatic overpressure can be created under the reel so that at least part of the reel weight is supported by a cushion of air.
In order to form such an air cushion at a reasonable expense, measures must be taken to seal a space at least to a considerable extent. The support rolls are used for this purpose. A sealing plate or seal housing is positioned under the support rolls. In the winding bed, the paper reel itself serves as a seal. In current construction, the seal is provided in which a sealing plate having a shape adapted to the contour of the winding bed is positioned as tightly as possible on the ends of the paper reel. However, because it is impossible to achieve bearing contact in this arrangement, this negatively affects the paper web to be wound. In such cases, the sealing plate would also wear very quickly. For this reason, a space of several millimeters is left between the ends of the paper reel and the sealing plate. It is obvious that air escapes through this gap, and it does so in considerable quantities.